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Bill's group - WCGTFH
5/25/10
Group Members:
Mitchell Rasor
Colin Beckman
Jonathan
Steven Sharf
Sarah
Scribe: Finn Teach
Facilitator: Bill Needleman
Shared Vision:
SS: Define “Maine.” Is this the government, citizens, or what? Who is it?
J: Need to include “visitors” in the vision. Need to make sure that if we say “Maine” we need to talk about places other than Portland. Need to focus on connecting major service centers if we are talking about Maine.
MR: “Maine should offer access to…” and take out mention of people. Land use planning and transportation need to be linked more effectively. If we are talking about agencies than that could be relevant…it depends on how you define Maine.
J: Need to talk about systems or system, not both. Talk about “current services and historical development patterns” in last sentence (see revised vision).
SS: The first sentence should say “We believe in access to affordable…”
Action Items:
CB: Funding is a problem.
SS: Priorities are the problem. The money is there, it’s really about how it is spent.
CB: Than the question is how to get the funding reprioritized.
SS: Land use development is a real problem. Our state government is encouraging sprawl. It funds the expansion of small communities rather than strengthening population centers. Action items would be to scrap the school funding formula and the rural expansion of broadband internet.
J: Land use formulas might be changed to reflect the value we place on historic development patterns (don’t let money follow commuters out into the rural areas).
MR: Calibrate the development to the existing conditions.
J: Lobby during the federal authorization process to fund “New starts, Small starts Program” to have a bias towards major service centers. Short Term.
MR: Infill development is a problem. Smaller minimum lot sizes should be mandated in rural village centers. This will allow higher density areas which makes transportation systems function more easily. The comprehensive plan statute would have to be amended. Lobby the legislature to amend The State Growth Management act (with the use of STPA). Medium Term.
SS: Long term would be creating the densities needed to successfully include a variety of modes of transportation. Could we outlaw bypasses? That doesn’t seem feasible.
MR: Regional community development plans need to be improved.
J: Yes, communities need to work together to develop collective plans. Mandate these on a labor market basis.
FT: Who would implement this?
SS: This would be a state law change. Long Term.
MR: Pine Tree zones should be related to service centers or service corridors. Incentives should be related to transportation. This is a state law change. Medium Term.
SS: State taxation and taxation incentives should be related to transportation corridors.
J: Corridors of regional and economic significance (CRES). These should be the perimeters of Pine Tree Zones. Medium Term
J: Toll 295/95 using road pricing. That would include north of Augusta. Medium Term. Use the money to fund road maintenance and other transportation choices (Downeaster, etc.).
MR: Eliminate or restructure SPO.
